Amnesty International Nigeria has raised serious concerns over Nigeria’s worsening security crisis, highlighting that rural communities in the north are living in constant fear of violent attacks. According to the human rights group, gunmen regularly kill, abduct for ransom, rape women, burn homes, and loot valuables.
The organisation reported that, in the past week alone, violence has erupted in Kwara, Katsina, Benue, and Kaduna states. In Kaduna, three people were killed and a Catholic priest, Rev. Fr. Nathaniel Asuwaye, along with ten others, were abducted after gunmen attacked Karku community in Kauru Local Government Area. In a separate incident, the Chief Imam of Janjala Central Mosque, Malam Bello Abdullahi, and a Fulani leader, Alhaji Shehu Bello, were kidnapped in Kagarko Local Government Area.
Amnesty International noted that villagers in Benue, Kwara, Katsina, and Kaduna are frequently confronted by attackers armed with sophisticated weapons, leaving communities vulnerable and traumatised.
The group criticised the Nigerian government for failing to protect its citizens, describing the response to the security crisis as grossly inadequate. Victims of human rights violations, Amnesty said, rarely receive justice, and authorities have consistently failed to hold perpetrators accountable.
“This failure has allowed impunity to flourish, spreading violence across the country and intensifying the suffering of affected communities,” Amnesty International stated. The organisation called on the government to uphold its constitutional and international human rights obligations by protecting lives and ensuring access to justice for victims.
